Azula's Path
by WhiteWaterLily
Summary: Beginning is an end, and an end is a beginning. Fall of Ozai marked the end of an era, but also the raise of another. With peace comes prosperity, but also much more. This was something that the young Avatar Aang will discover as Azula escaped.
1. Overture: Peace and Its Counterpart

With peace comes prosperity and freedom. It is undeniable. But with it also comes the struggle for power, deceit, and tragedies. And then, descending into war. For centuries, peace and its opposite had fought over the control of the weary of the fate of the people who lives. And it kept this way...and peace results in the end for there was the Avatar, a line of guardians who transcended from each of the four lines of heritage, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. They defeated all who challenged the times of peace and brought the end to each tyranny that attempted to harm the balance of the world.

Yet, harm was still done, and by the time the Fall of the Sozin's Comet, the Air Nomad were reduced to one last member, Aang, who was also the Avatar. Then, at the next cycle, he defeated the ex-Fire Lord, now Phoenix King Ozai, and his friends defeated the rest of his army, including a horrifying fire bending prodigy, Azula. With the end of this war, peace was restored, but as always, not for long. The corruption of peace came easily when the corruption of it was done in the name of peace. Especially especially when humans were still corrupted. And young Avatar Aang's adventures would not be over until he rooted each and all.

A spirit roamed in the darkness. To it, everything was seen as clearly as in the day. To it, night was day.

This world was a world of balance, of harmony, and of greatness, but yet it loved none of it. To it, the world should be one of chaos, one of war, and one of cacophony. It should be. It must be.

It mused as it continued its travels. The Fire Nation's legacy had fallen, and it sighed. Sozin and his descendants were works of art, perhaps his best masterpieces yet. And still it failed. But now the world had come to an interesting crossroad: how would destiny bind the humans who survived this calamity?

It could smell the coming of a great future as if the early scent of Spring, but it also saw dots of decay in the midst, threatening to ruin the world once and for all. And though it had no mouth, it laughed with sheer joy-what better destruction does this world deserve than to be destroyed in the name of peace and freedom?


	2. Opus 1: Ending and Beginning

So the war was fought. All the airships were wrecked, and the Fire Nation's destruction task force was successfully stalled. Phoenix King Ozai, aka the king of losers, was defeated and bound. Nothing happened could have been better. Not a better ending could be written. Yet it wasn't satisfying, not even if Ozai's fire bending skills were taken away through a mysterious energy bending.

Great, now what. Sokka strolled through the dense forest. His black blade was dropped from a height, but it must be somewhere here. Forged by the Master Pindao, his Space Sword was worthy of legends.

"Toph, help me out." He finally had to plead one of his teammates, Toph Bei Fong, a little blind girl, but had mastered Earth bending. Perhaps she had mastered how to annoy people too. "Come on, my poor love can't wait that long for me."

"I thought I was your love." Suki pouted. A Kyoshi warrior she was, and a pretty good one at that. Currently Sokka's girl friend.

"Well, you know, I have three love. Love of food, love of my sword, and love for you." He smiled brightly before the face twisted in agony as Suki demolish his strength to stand straight.

"Come, Toph, leave this idiot to his fate." Suki stormed off.

"Well, ha-ha-ha, I must agree." Toph walked off.

"Wait! Don't leave me alone!" Sokka cried uselessly. "Fine, be that way." He leaned against the trunk of a tree. Debris of all sorts lay scattered around. There were ones were still burning, and there were ones that fell from the sky whole. Everywhere he roamed he found injured Fire benders. No wonder they are the elites of Fire Nation. None of them died when they fell that far from the air.

"Hey Sokka, I think we found your love." It was Suki's voice.

He got there so fast that he was surprised with himself. And there they were, Suki and Toph standing over...a bag of fire chips?

"Well, I gotta say, you ran pretty fast. The running from your running was nearing the speed that your vibrations traveled." Toph giggled.

"Not funny." Sokka mummbled. "Well, anyways, who wants to enjoy a good meal. It is always necessary to fulfill one's stomach after a great victory." He popped one into his mouth. "Mmm...the elites do carry top notch snacks."

"I guess there isn't a Fire Nation's citizen who loves fire chips as much as you do." Suki cross her arms in front her chest. Then there was a rumbling. "It-it wasn't me!"

Sokka put on an evil grin. "Now come on, take one, this will cure any abnormal abdominal rumblings."

"Shu-Shut up!" Suki grabbed the piece of food Sokka so sincerely offered.

"Oh!" Sokka suddenly yelled. Suki choked and clawed frantically at her throat. He held a fire chip between his thumb and index finger. "I've found it!"

"Found what?" Toph asked.

"My love! Ow!" Sokka covered his head. "What!"

"I thought you found out that the chips were poisonous or something!" Suki was on fire. Angry fire. "Instead, it's another piece of your fire chips!"

"Hey! This fire chip is special. See? There's a spiral in the middle of it. Besides, I was talking about the other 'My love'!" He pointed to the ground not far away. It was Sokka's Space Sword stuck into the head dress (not the head) of an officer who apparently wetted himself. Not hard to wonder what happened. "See, see!?"

"Sorry, I am blind." Toph whispered.

"Oh, I am sorry...and I wasn't talking to you anyways." Sokka smiled sweetly.

"Don't put on that smily face, Toph can't see it." For the third time, Suki clocked Sokka on his head. "Any ways, let's get back to the airship. The Avatar is waiting." She sighed. "I hope Zuko is fine. Azula was..." She shivered. Sokka put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, he has Katara with him, and if you don't trust her, we've still got the great and mighty Avatar."

The trip back was rather unenjoyable. The sole survivor of the air ship was rather damaged and the stale night wind and a very pale Ozai didn't help much. The airship must have decided to crawl as it inched over the vast ocean, and Toph had to forcefully wag the fins and spin the propellers to get them going. By the time they reached the Fire Nation, the sun had already broken out, spilling its warmth over the lands.

Katara and Zuko were spotted as they approached the city at the top of the mountain-they were waving, standing at the very top of the tower. Mai was also present, seemingly a bit unhappy...perhaps it got to do with the nearness of Zuko and Katara.

When the Avatar stepped out, Ozai right behind him in chains, the city erupted in hoots and shouts, and combined with the clapping and crying, it was absolute chaos-even Toph had to cover her ears. But there was joy in the air, for the war finally ended, and the chorus of the joyous uproar turned into something far nicer, for it was the true song of peace, one that everyone participates in and merges into.

This was the first time when this city received the young Avatar, one who calls himself Aang, the last remaining member of the Air Nomads, a short and bald kid with a blue arrow down his forehead, a self-reserved monk at first glance. He held a staff in his hands, a wooden rod, a simple shadow of the one he had in the past.

A scent of fresh air hit him the moment he stepped into the city. So different than last time when he visited. No long were smoke and some foul smelling gas. Gone were the smog and the depressing atmosphere. It was now a refreshing jubilant wind that met him, and Aang was also joyful. He did it, he had restored peace into the world after so many years of destruction and war. Now he will have to sustain this peace as long as possible. There are still some out there who wills harm.

He embraced Zuko, Katara, shook hands with Mai and Ty Lee and the other prisoners, and then they went into the Fire Lord's hall, where the throne stood proud and empty.

"Zuko, its now your sit." Aang pointed. "Take it, and remember that you are the new beginning of not just a nation, but world too."

Zuko touched the arms of the throne. The flames surrounding it had died. He stared into the eyes of his ancester who sat silently on the same throne he was touching. Sozin's gaze was never changing, but Zuko held his. "Yes, I shall remember. My family began it. My family will finish it."

The coronation was due in days, and the will-be Fire Lord Zuko paced the room like a tiger in a cage with bars of iron covering the four sides. His father, Ozai, once the public enemy, the great Phoenix King and the leader of his people, were now in chains, locked in the deepest dungeon of the city.

He stared a bare wall-recently he had all the portraits of Sozin tore down and burnt, and the palace looked a bit lonely. What should I put on them? He asked himself, trying to divert his attention away from important event that will shape the history of the Fire Nation soon.

"I guess if I had the Avatar's portrait pulled over these walls, the palace would look better." Then he paused. "How do they even look like? We know what Avatar Roku and Kyoshi and a few before them looked like, but," His gaze swept through the empty rectangular spaces on his two sides. "I am not sure if I trusted Aang's drawing skills."

Zuko walked up to the throne. "It always amazes me how many portraits of Sozin could be drawn. I mean it would take his entire life posing to have that **much** pictures made."

"As do I, my lord." A intruder entered, silent were her footsteps. In mere strides, she was already by his side. "The painters must have been rather practiced after drawing such a large amount of _him_."

"Mai," Zuko smiled. "It was nice to see you walking around freely."

"You know, the prison isn't that bad of a place." She leaned closer. Zuko saw that she had put on new clothes.

"Oh, so the palace wasn't good enough for you?" It was only when Mai or his companions in Team Avatar that can make him comfortable to enough joke around. Otherwise, he was one quiet guy with a short fuse.

"No, it was just the smoke and the creepy faces of a dead man staring down at me that made it rather uncomfortable to stay." She looked around. "Oh, I guess you are not afraid of Sozin burning you in your dreams?"

"Never for one second did I ever thought of that. But I guess if Sozin ever saw this, he would most like strangle me before having me roasted for dinner." No, he was not proud of his family's legacy, at least not like his sister.

Azula, my dear sister. Can't believe I lived through that lightning strike. A sudden pain shot through the scarred tissue right in his chest. If not for Katara...but Azula, though I had no love for her, to see her like that... He sighed.

"What, my lord?" Mai asked, concerned for his sudden outburst.

"Nothing," He turned away.

"Oh, there is something," Mai twist his head toward her face. "Tell me." She flashed a throwing dart.

"Ha..." Zuko's eyes were drawn to the dart. It looked pretty sharp. "Well, it is just about my sister Azula..."


	3. Opus 2: The New Fire Lord

Warden Song strolled down the dark alleys lined with rows upon rows of cells. Drops of water fell onto him, which irritated him greatly, for he was a loyal denizen of the Fire Empire, but today it did not matter. This morning, a person of great value was brought to him by the one he serves, and his heart was filled with glee. Life is enjoyable when you gain trust of such a great person of power. It was a surprise, as he never thought any one let alone a member of the royal family would cross the vast ocean just to deposit a person into _his _care, but lo, they were here just this very morning-his one and only Fire Lord of the Fire Nation that he was sworn loyalty to. Yes, the heir of the Fire Lord (rumored that he was going to be the Fire Lord soon), Zuko, was young and extremely inexperience to the point that Song thought he himself could've done better if he was in Zuko's same position, but power handed by a man of power was still something to treasure.

What delights him more was the identity of this person. Still wearing the royal dress, bound by rusty iron chain, hair badly cut and slightly singed, make up smudged, dripping wet, this was the broken shell of a person who was Song's former Lord's daughter.

Well, Fire Lord Zuko did order him to watch his sister constantly so to keep her safe (safe in the sense of to be keep the others safe), to be cared for and tended by the best here, and have her placed in the best room, a large chamber with a silken bed large enough to fit a herd of goats with barred windows looking into the wonderful botanic gardens. There was one problem though, which Warden Song never pointed out to his lord, and that was the fact that that room, sadly, was his room.

Oh well, he need not to know that. Not that he planned to disobey the Fire Lord's direct orders, but it was the orders themselves that were...how do I say it...flexibly interpretable. So yes, the princess was watched over all 24 hours of each day and night, guarded heavily by soldiers loyal to **him** and **him **only. That was what the word "caring" meant to Warden Song. And the best room? He chuckled to himself. She was in the best room. The best confinement chamber designed only for great Fire benders.

_You lost. _

_You lost against your brother._

_You are a loser._

_Father hates losers._

_You lost._

_You lost to your brother._

_You are weak._

_Father hates weaklings._

Azula cried until she had fallen asleep.

When she awoke, she found herself inside some sort of dark room. She tried to get up, but found that her hands were chained behind her back attached to a thick and heavy chain of some sort of black iron to the ceiling. Some light leaked in, but those were from the cracks between the metal gate that was pressed into an enormous wall of stones. When she finally finished surveying the room, a dark cloud began to eat away at her mind...._where? Where!? _

She screamed, pulling, jerking, thrashing, twisting, and it hurt.

_What? Where?_

_Bang!_

She saw Zuko, holding the golden flame and shoving it into his hair.

_Bang!_

She saw two sillohette, one in blue one in red, staring down at her.

_Bang!_

She saw a girl in blue, swimming in the very ice that bound her.

_Bang!_

She saw lightning, sparkling to life at her very fingers, jumping into Zuko's chest.

_Bang!_

She saw Zuko, standing proud and tall as she struggled to move.

_Bang!_

She saw herself, slicing off her hair with a scissor.

_Bang!_

She saw Father, rejecting her as he was about to step onto his airship.

_Bang!_

And...she saw her mother..._dear, I love you._

**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH**

The chains creaked and shrieked as she move-violently-in-a-way-words-can't-describe. Even her body could not withstand such movements and her joints screamed in pain. Yet she did not stop for she couldn't feel anything or think of anything. She was out of control, and in more humane terms, she had gone crazy.

Warden Song stopped at the gate and sneered. So she was crazy then. Sad, he thought, you would have packed much more juice than your brother, but your fortune didn't last. A squardron of soldiers descended down the one and only stairs into this deep dungeon. It was time to change shifts and the soldiers done it quickly. Guarding the dungeons were never fun, especially guarding a human who lost her marbles and was infamous for her cruelty. The air was heavy and wet, yet abnormally cool, dimming the torches. They were shelled behind crystals to prevent some fire benders from bending the flames.

But that aren't necessary when the prisoner can't even manage their breathing straight. Well, the echo was in his ears as princess Azula's fit wrecked up great noise. Then suddenly it died. Crap, did she bit her own tongue and killed herself?

"Hello?" He knocked. "Hello?" No answer.

Curious more than anxious, he slid open a peep hole and stare in. Nope Azula wasn't dead. Shoulders crunched and shivering, Azula had shown signs of living and he left it at that. No, she wouldn't be talking, at least not in this state.

"Well, see you later." And the peep hole closed.

Once again Azula was surrounded by darkness, a darkness that she welcomed more than anything else. Father will come to get me, she thought over and over as the final footstep died away in echos. He will.

Hours past into days, and Azula remained in the same cell, rock on three sides and iron on one, the same place, at the back wall, the same position, hand bound tightly behind her back with a chain attached to ceiling far far above. Food was handed in a flat bowl, undecorated, plain and dull, usually filled of an unimaginable slop. Of course, she hadn't touched a drop of it, and this bowl in front of her had gone stale for a long time. Yet enough not a patch of mold grew, and Azula was glad that she didn't taste a drop of it. That was the only gladness she ever had in the days of her confinement.

She had remembered everything. Why didn't Zuko died? Why did I lose? Why was I forced to force my hand? Why isn't father here? Why? Why, why, why? Answers spiraled in her mind, yet none of them rooted. It was her problem. It always had been. If she had been perfect, flawless...

"Hey" The Warden tore open the peep hole, and took a look inside. The food was still unconsumed, and he didn't bother changing it. It had stayed like this for the entire day and yesterday, and the day before yesterday. "Still alive?"

Azula glanced up, and her face was sharper than before. Days without food can do that to humans, Song noted, but to hang in for that long...well, she came from a family of great dignity, and dignity is not easily thrown away if it was the only thing one's got. But then, Song mused, wouldn't it be fun to break someone's dignity?

"Well, I bring you some news today, a new Fire Lord was crowned." Azula's dilated pupil constricted. Surprise, Song smiled to himself. It was always fun to see a member of the royal family get astonished.

"What happened to fa...Phoenix King?"Well, the princess was smart

"Oh, good good, you finally talked." Warden Song smiled through the peep hole. "I was wondering if you became deaf or something like that."

"It would probably pleased some peasant of your likes." Azula's voice was airy. Anyone could tell her body was weak and starving.

"Actually it would bother me. The Fire Lord would question me quite harshly." Song said in his best sing-song timbre. He would have laughed, but he had trained his manners well. "You know, he did give orders on keep you safe. Besides, it is shameful to let some young and attractive female harmed themselves."

"Shame? You know no shame." Azula squinted, her glaring, but Song was well-seasoned, and he returned the favor with a large and wide grin.

"Oh, by the way, about your father." The reaction was immediate—her glare vanished and her ears pricked. So cute. "Well, I can't tell you much." Was it curiosity and anticipation that he saw in her eyes? Fear? No, it was dread. "But, all I can tell you is that, wait wait, let me rephrase it. I believe, well, I don't believe, but yea, I think you-"

"GET ON WITH IT!" Light flashed, in the cell and Song closed the peep hole in time.

"Ow, this hurt." He joked, waving his hand in the air. Smoke leaked from the cracks between the iron gate and the walls it attached to.

"TELL ME!"

"Well well, let's not rush now, it is only proper that...you know the answer already. What can happen to the oh-the-wonderful-and-great-Phoenix King when his son, Zuko your half brother the deserter and traitor of the Fire Nations, became the one and the only Fire Lord." Song finished it in one breath. He was tempted to open the peep hole-her expression would be a spectacle to behold, but he hesitated. Little princess's fire was not something he hoped to mess with, and he found himself lucky as the metal gate bulged as fire and smoke billow out the cracks. He heard nothing other than pandemonium, but since there was a hint of metallic clings, he knew Azula had gone berserk. He pulled a cord, and wet sand poured in from a hole in the ceiling. The rush of sand quenched all the blue tongues of fire, and all was quiet.

"Well, I guess I will my leave now, princess Azula, and if you need anything else, just give me a call." He turned and walked off, hands behind his back. Half way down the hall, his composure broke, and he burst out laughing, letting the maniacal laughter tear through the eerie silence of the confinement center.


	4. Opus 3: The Creed and the Future

sorry for the late update...And I must thank the makers of Avatar for making such a nice story

**A Creed for the Future**

The Fire Sages lifted the golden fire from the plate, and ever so slowly, allow it to slip in between the strands of hair that formed his knot on the top of his head. Finally. It was done. Zuko was surprised at the amount of attendee: he saw fire benders, water benders, earth benders, and hundreds of all sorts of people from all over the vast lands. The only ones missing was some of the officials of the Fire Nations and the Fire Sages.

There was one group in particular that he watched for. These are the ones he truly hopped to see was his family. But he knew that none will be here. His father was locked away in the capital dungeons, his sister sent to the insane asylum, and his mother somewhere unknown. Perhaps she came. The war was over, Fire Lord Ozai disposed. She would come back for me. He restrained himself from yelling his mother's name, but instead showed a cool and steady face. The people were going to judge him based on his facade, and he could not afford to lose any hearts now.

Yet he felt a pang of envy as the crowds bowed in full sincerity as Aang came out, his face unchanged and exceptionally smooth. He wasn't sure if his envy was directed to Aang's ability to remain so subtle and calm or that the people bowed at him. One thing for sure was that he was in for a long and busy days.

He shifted that golden piece in his hair again for the hundredth time today. It felt heavy, heavy with all the fault and wrongs that his lines of heritage had done. His heritage required a redemption, and he felt bogged down by this weight.

"Look, Mai, I know I am the Fire Lord, the real one and only Fire Lord."

"So what. I am Mai, the one and only Mai, and what does that prove?"

"The past Fire Lords had done horrible things." He paused. "And I have to right them."

"So?" Mai answered with little or no change in her tone. But he knew she was paying attention.

"I am not sure if I can do it."

"You know how you can do it. Just fixed what was wrong." Mai yawned. "Can't believe you asked me this."

"But I don't know where to start!" Zuko slammed his fist into the table. Dozens of china jumped, chattering. "I have abosolutely no one in the palace that knows and respect me other than Uncle Iroh, who is deemed a traitor, and my father left me so big of a mess that I can't even begin to clean them up. Look, we still have half our army out there in the Earth Kingdom's rightful lands, with dozens of their castles within our territory, while almost a third of this nation's male youths are staying overseas, serving as army. How can I even begin to withdraw our forces? I can't think of anything!"

"You just thought of a solution, my dear Fire Lord" Mai picked up an apple from the desk. A stilletto slid out from somewhere in her sleeves and she began to peel it. "Just do what you think is right. You are the Fire Lord."

"Of course I will, but remembered what happened when my Fire Lord decided he can do anything he wants, the world almost became the Fire Nation." Zuko picked up a china cup that was flipped over. "I can't follow his path therefore I cannot follow his suit."

"Whatever you say, Zuko." The crimson skin came off of the apple in a perfect spiral. Mai slashed at the yellow flesh, and it split into eighths seconds later. She picked up one and placed it in her mouth. Zuko watched her. Finally, he snapped.

"Mai!" The china cup erupted into pieces. "Stop acting like everything doesn't matter! Take interesting in something! If you can't, at least help me out here!"

Mai turned towards Zuko. "First, I am not acting, it is fact that nothing matters to me in this moment other than you and me. Second, politics, military, and your family buisness are all boring to me, why should I be interested? And I am helping. Well, do you want a piece of apple?" She offered him a slice.

Zuko took it. "Fine, thanks for the apple, everything is solved now." He ate it. "It had been such a long time since I had some good apples...but that's not the point here. What can I do now?"

"You already mentioned it, my dear Fire Lord."

"What?"

"A solution. Withdraw the armies and return authorities to the local authorities."

"But before that I must issue a creed to announce the surrender of Fire Nation. You do know that the War hadn't end. Sure, my father, Fire Lord Ozai was overthrown, but the Fire Nation hadn't lost anything yet. The army, unfortunately, under Ozai and Azula, had driven the Earth Kingdom nearly to extinction, only to be saved by recent events. Part of Fire Nation want to keep fighting, keep conquering, desiring not for change but for victory. I, as the Fire Lord, should not take their love of their nation away and hand their well deserved victory to the Earth Kingdoms and the Water Tribes. And besides, if I do issue a surrender, many generals and admirals still at large will see me as a coward and a traitor to the tradition. And, in the worst case, they might rebell. I can't risk that. I just can't!" Zuko threw his hands up in the air. "I can't risk a civil war right after the War! I can't take the lives of my citizens and play them against their own people! I can't let any more people die!"

"Then are you going to risk more lives to ensure a victory we are never going to give you?" This voice wasn't Mai's. A girl with long dark hair and fair healthy skin entered the room.

"Katara." Zuko muttered her name.

"Hi, new Fire Lord." She smiled. Mai looked sour dispite her effort to hide it.

"Well, if you are so worried about these rebels, you would be a wimp." Sokka followed his sister into the room. He wore a crimson robe with golden etchings-the clothes of scholars. It did fit him though. "Of course, it is wise to think ahead, but if you are going to bring peace, bring it quick and swiftly. I believe, we," He looked behind him, where Toph Bei Fong and Aang were standing. "Will gladly take care of the anyone who stands in peace's way."

"We will crush them, Zuko, it will be easy." Toph had a bright smile.

"We will assist you whenever you need help." Aang was standing behind the others, but Zuko could feel his presence. "All for the future's peace and the restoration of balance. Accept our help, Zuko, and things will be much easier. Aren't you glad that we are your friends?"

"Indeed I am, and I am deeply honored to be in your acquaintance. Thanks for your support, I do need it." Zuko took a deep breath. "So, surrender first or withdraw first?"

That afternoon, posters were stuck to the numerous notice boards scattered across the country. They attracted many spectators, and they were all speechless. All had their reasons.

Then, a thousand fire hawks took flight, all carrying the same message:

_Withdraw Notice_

All citizens of Fire Nation attention, this is the first creed from the Fire Lord:

All units and fleets within Fire Nation borders are to evacuate their encampment and gather at the Five Fortresses across the country immediately. All who disobey will be kept and questioned until further instructions are given.

All units and fleets in standby or action will abandon their mission and immediately return to Fire Nation when chance allows. All who disobey will be kept and questioned until further instructions are given.

All rightly citizens and military currently occupying land not of the Fire Nation's continent will immediately gather their possessions, abandon land ownership, and head back to Fire Nation unless local authorities allow one to live there. Fire Nation personnel without proper documents will not be allow stay in foreign lands. All who disobey will be kept and questioned until further instructions are given.

All Fire Nation personnel currently in possession of authorities in foreign lands must return power to local authorities immediately and must head back unless the permission of local authorities consent one can stay. All who disobey will be kept and questioned until further instructions are given.


	5. Opus 4: Of the Result

**Opus 4: Result of the Creed**

Unknown to Warden Sung, the intense heat produced by the extravagant fire works that erupted when Azula went berserk melted the metal chain that held her to her place. And Azula sat with her legs under her, staring at the ground, trembling. For the first time since she was a child, she felt despair.

Father, where are you? She formed a mental picture of her father Ozai, the only person that had meant anything significant to her. Where are you?

It was a while before she was able to think straight, but she forced herself to clear herself of any surfacing thoughts-she did not wish to relive the moments of her humiliation over and over again, even as a memory. She was tired of questioning whether or not her father was coming to fetch her. Deep down inside she thought that perhaps the former Fire Lord had ceased to exist. A tear fell onto the sand and was quickly absorbed. She had nothing left. Nothing. Not a trace of dignity or pride, not even her integrity was left. Humiliated and beaten, there she was. And father. He was gone too isn't he. It look her that long to realize that she had lost everything.

The wet sand bored through her dress as she shuffled continuously, hoping to get into a more comfortable position. Night had came and its cold struck hard. Azula cuddled against the gate, hoping to find warmth from the sources of light on the other side. She found none. The chilling air bite, and for once, she wanted more clothing simply just to keep her warm.

She sobbed quietly, but found that the cold stung her more as the tears rolled down her face.

After waking, Azula still huddled by the corner, but her hunger was challenging any dignity she had left, and she had dug out the pile of gray substance from under the sand, and was now staring it, her stomach telling her to dive into it while the better part of her brain was trying to refrain her from eating this pile of sludge. Normally she wouldn't even take a second look at this substance, bu

She sniffed it and immediately regretted it, as it turned her stomach upsider down and she had to refrain herself from throwing up. As well, she wouldn't having that as her lunch or breakfast or dinner or...she stared into the ceiling. It looked the same all day long, for no natural light leaked in, and it was then when she realized that she didn't know what time it was.

The sloob on the plate was long cold, and finally, after who know how long, her stomach got over the smell and began to revolt. The pain was great, but it was her heart that was tormented the most. If I don't eat, I might starve to death, and if I die, than father can't get me out. Dignity or survival? All that she knew right now was anger-anger at who placed her in this place at this time! She bit her lips, trying to divert some of her anger to pain, but the fire within did not surrender easily. She growled, struggled against the chain that bent her two hands to her back, trying her strength against the metal. Obviously it didn't work, but somehow, something was driving her, and the metal crackled under the enormous stress...then...she heard a crack. At first she thought she actually broke the chain, and tugged on her hands, but none of the two came out. Then she realized that one of her shoulders were bent at an odd angle.

Azula winced. Her shoulder was dislocated, which sent signals of pain into her brain, screaming for her to yell out loud, but at the last second, she composted herself. She had bitten through her lips, feeling a driblet of warm and salty liquid spread in her mouth.

After a while the screaming pain dulled to throbbing spread of smarting sores (if she did not move that is), but she decided not to leave it alone. Standing up by leaning against the wall, she took aim and slammed her shoulder at the flat metal gate, creating a bang and a sharp crack. As she wait for the pain to subside, she heard the guards arguing outside. Hmm...perhaps the noise spooked them, and she shuffled on her knees back to where the chain still hung down from the ceiling. Surely, a guard opened the peep hole, took a quick look, noticed nothing wrong, and shutted it again. Azula once again wondered how did she get in this mess.

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Human beings surged in today morning, and Warden Sung was not a happy man.

Due to the first creed of the new Fire Lord, hundreds of thousands of the once proud military returned, shamed and beaten, and t Many among them disobeyed the creed, and had to be forced to head back to Fire Nation behind bars. Part of them, mostly millitary personnel, were brought to him.

He was shocked by the sheer number. It was like a flood. Of course, he did get a increase in number of guards, but it was simply not enough to deal with all. Warden Sung tried to count the total population in the main hall and found it impossible. There were still a long line outside of weeping or defiant criminals. All in all, he thought, those who resisted the creed must have all been shipped here.

This creed, the signifying beginning that marked the first step to the end of the war caused a influx of oversea soldiers, and most of them, in his own words, were the worn out type-the ones who had experience too much trauma during the war. In his opinion, these men are all weaklings, ones who can't bear much weight in this society.

He watched a sobbing fire bender being cast into his cell with no interest at all. These men are all the same to him. Why should he care. Then a smile found its way onto his lips. These men are of no interest to him, but he had a better toy. A much better toy both in term of quality and uniqueness.

Another trio was pushed by a burly guard into an open cell. The locked clicked and the guards were away again, leaving three downcast...no, the word downcast doesn't even begin to describe the these people. The way they moan and cry! It was getting to his nerves. He set off to the dungeons immediately, finding himself disgusted by the patients in a certain way.

So, how should I play with her today? Nothing tough. He crackled, trying to figure out how far could he strain the little princess, squeezing as much joy as he could while letting her survive longer. He remembered her reaction when he told her of her brother's crowning. Hmm...she seems attached to her father. Not that I dislike Lord Ozai, but it might be fun to mention his present state...no, what would be better is that I can make up that Lord Ozai was sentence to death...her reaction might be rather cute! With that, he descended another level, nearing the basement of the confinement camp.

..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

"Fire Lord, twenty fleets out of the thirty six had returned today, bringing with them thirteen brigades of our loyal terran forces. Five more have replied and have left for Fire Nation today." An old man in red reported, kneeling, a scroll in hand. He was the newly appointed Minister of the Army, a trustworthy and wise man whom Zuko had known since his youth.

"Very well, Minister Li, what about the others?" Zuko asked impatiently, his fingers tapping on the gold of the hand rest. "Twenty plus five is twenty-five, making for eleven unreported."

"It is very true, and it is indeed dire news." Minister Li dab at his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief.

Everyone in the court pricked their ears. When the word "dire" comes out of Li's mouth, something must be seriously wrong.

"You have my permission to speak minister."

"Thank you for your grace." He took another round of ferocious dabbing. "Two general had anounced to defect from your grace's army." Muttering spread like uncontroled wild fire.

"Who?" Zuko didn't seem surprised at all.

"General Luya, leading the Thirty-first fleet and Second, Third, and Fourth Brigades in the north of Earth Kingdoms" Zuko sighed. General Luya was a young peasant made general due to his genius tactics and his victories in regards to the rebellion that recently arouse. He had a strong sense of what's right and wrong, and had disobeyed unreasonable orders from the past. General Luya is a good man; he will understand what was Zuko trying to accomplish soon enough. In fact, Zuko was relieved he was one of the defectors.

"And?"

"An-and...Admira-miral...Mor...cun." Minister Li replied feebly.


	6. Opus 5: Of Food and Heat bending

**Opus 5: Of Food and Heat (bending)**

Azula bowed on her knees, relieving the stress on her back that strained as she was pretending to be still bound, when a waft of sweet scent ascend through her nostrils and stimulated her scent receptors. This smell! Her stomach immediately read the scent as food, as it gave the loudest rumbling she had ever heard it gave. Where did that come from? And her eyes fell back to the plate of gray matter. It was bubbling, with a thin slightly roasted surface, giving off one of the most wonderful smell she had ever experienced. This...!? Twisting herself around, she touched the plate with her hands. Surely, it was hot, as if just out of the oven, and it was no longer putrid.

What a wonderful metamorphosis! She thought, and this time, her brain didn't reject the primative urges-she basically pushed her head into the mush, eating greedily, filling herself up as much as she wanted. Tears streamed down her face, as subconsciously she knew she was broken, almost as if she felt she was tamed. But she could no longer care, for she could only keep eating. She had fallen from grace and she knew it.

She cried as she ate. _I hate the Warden, I hate the Avatar, I hate traitors, I hate my family, I hate...myself. _

_Azula, we love you. _Azula felt a presence behind her, and the presence spoke. She knew the voice and she knew that tone.

_Mother...what love are you talking about? Love to see me humiliated by my own actions?_

_No, we love you and we want to care about you. _Lady Ursa's voice got closer. Azula did not turn.

_Care? When did caring became part of my life? I am a monster, remember?_

_Azula, you are not a monster._

_Oh, then what am I?_

_You are my child, my dearest children, one whom I have lived my entire life for._

_Right, that is why you left so early._

_I have no choice. You knew what happened. I have to save your brother's life._

_Yes, you cared more about him anyways, so what difference did it make?_

_I cared the same for both of you._

"LIES!" Azula screamed. "LIES!"

_You know the answers._

"LIES!" Azula screamed. "LIES!"

_Your father, he also loves you._

"LIES!" Azula screamed. "LIES!"

_You know and understand what he gave you. You understand his position. You understand him._

"NO!" Azula screamed. "I-DO-NOT!"

_He is your father, and you know him. He loves you too._

"..." Azula panted. "THEN WHERE IS HE?"

There were no answer. Azula waited for another second. Still no answer. She twist around, ignoring the grounding of her skin on the sandy floor. There was no one there.

"MOTHER!" Azula yelled, but the volume of her voice was low-she could not continue. "Where are you? Where is father?" She wanted to cry, but no tears came. There were none left.

* * *

Warden Sung fortunately had sent all the guards away. He had heard every word that came out of the cell. Interesting, very interesting. He crossed his fingers, placing them under his chin. This was his thinking mood. What, what can I do? I had just heard some really interesting information and rather private too. How can I use them to my advantage? A candle waned in the stuffiness of the basement, and Sung blew it out as the flickering wa distracting his intricate thoughts. Wait, what was her last words? 'Where is father?' Now that is one entreving question. Father...hm...her father is Lord Ozai. So his original plans would work perfectly.

Simply tell her Lord Ozai was killed. How did he die? Murdered by an angry mob? Destroyed by the Avatar? Executed? The problem is now how to convince her. And it dawned to him.

"Hehe—haha, so simple!" He said, not worried at all if he was going to be heard. "Just present her something...something that was related to her father. She will have no choice but to believe it. And then, he would have the chance to admire her reaction to the news.

How perfect and wonderful. He rushed backed up stairs, pushing aside two guards whom was just coming down for their shifts, and in mere strides he was in his room. There he started looking. It didn't take him long.

* * *

Azula was tired, but she weren't in the mood to sleep, so she finished up her food. The plate was licked clean. There were never such a satisfying meal that she had ever eaten.

There might be poison! Her brain told her. You might get sick!

Too late, the satisfied portion of her body retorted. At least if she was going to die, she would die with a full stomach. She felt much better, calm and soothed...perhaps like a pebble from the beach. She allowed herself a smile.

She pushed away the plate with her bare feet, deciding to lean against the wall. At least she could rest her damaged shoulder there. She still couldn't sleep, so thoughts began to swim around. Memories flooded out from every pore, and somehow her thought wandered to the day of Sozin's Comet's Fall. She remembered the power of fire that kept rushing out from her hands, spewing forth like a geyser with no depth. She remembered Zuko countering everything she threw at him, which surprised her-her blue fire were simply swat aside with his normal flame. He must have done some training, or else how did he force my hand in an Agni Kai?

She forcefully skipped over the memory in which she was defeated, out witted by a water bender (her heart pounded, and she felt her face going red in some sort of mixed emotions), and then she thought of the plate of food.

It was food and spoiled before, what happened? It almost seemed its time reversed to the point that it was freshly cooked, but she doubted that. Instead, her mind was focused on one fact. The food was heated up again somehow. She didn't remember when it turned from a pile of excrament on a plate into a delicacy, nor did she remember any signs of fire. True, she had produced plenty of it the night before, just before she was showered by cascade of wet sand, but she had no impression of some any flame being produced.

No fire, how did it heat itself up? Wait. Fire isn't necessary to heat something up, there are many other ways one can warm things up. And perhaps...heat is required to heat objects, somehow heat was produced. Not through fire, nor through bending...she had read stories on Fire Lord Sozin's fire bending can turn wet logs into nice quality fire wood (which made his Northern expeditions worked so well, as they have fire wood year long regardless of weather and temperature), and she saw Iroh, her royal tea-loving fat uncle, heat up his keg of tea without using a fire...is there such thing as heat bending? Her heart skipped a beat.

Heat bending. It is possible. Perhaps during her struggle with the shackles she accidentally triggered this form of bending art. And her mind was spinning. What kind of moves will trigger it? How does chi affect it? Emotions and concentration perhaps? She couldn't wait to try, to test her findings, but the limit of her freedom made any movement hard (she seriously doubt that the art of heat bending required both hands behind ones back to successfully trigger it). If only I get out of these chains!

She sat down again, calming herself. I done it once, though it was an accident, it was still a success. The warmth coming from the sand underneath her seemed to confirm her theory (the sand was freezing the other night, now it feels comfortable enough to stuff one's foot in.

If I master heat bending, surely father will praise me, and surely makes me superior to Zuko...again.

In this moment, Azula had forgotten everything about her pitiful state. She was just herself, curious and eager, ambitious and intelligent.


	7. Opus 6: General Morcun

Sorry, a short chapter... Thanks for salt and opin for reviewing, I deeply appreciate your words of wisdom.

**Opus 6: General Morcun**

General Morcun, fomerly an Admiral, was a man to be truly feared. Not only was he talented enough to become the highest ranking general within the Fire Nation, he had the ambition to match that of the Fire Lord he swore loyalty to. Wherever he passed, flames rose in columns to lament all those who passed away there, and not many of them were raised for his troops. He will do whatever necessary to get to succeed in his cause, and the former Fire Lord Ozai had loved him for that.

He had the largest army under his control other than that directly under the control of the Fire Lord, even equiped with the recent and feared airships. Out of the eleven fleets that did not answer the Creed, seven of them were under him. This fleet mainly controlled the Southern Seas, raiding and destroying villages of the Southern Water Tribes while holding the navy of the Earthen Kingdoms beyond crossing the seas below.

So, it is him then. The fortresses in the South must have also fell under his control-none of paid the slightest reaction to the Creed.

"Fire Lord, I believe we should sent our army immediately. General Morcun had a great strength of army in his control, and we might strike before they get any larger." A general offered his opinion.

"Agreed, we should also ask the Earthen Kingdoms for help. They would gladly help."

"We can. Our army is in paralyzed in the chaos caused by the Creed. Attacking now would only lead to more confusion."

"But we must! General Morcun has a way with men, and very soon he will convince all army out in the field to join him. You do know that he became a general by successfully stirring a rebellion in one of the Earthen Kingdom's fortress in the South and crushed the defense through intricate series of sabotage, tearing down the trust between the leaders from within, and in the end, actually recruited a batch full of earth benders to bring the walls down?"

"Yes! We must start our attack very soon! I do remember that Ba Sing Se was taken by a similar effort? We couldn't allow..."

Zuko could not pay anymore attention to the flaring arguments that stormed the palace.

"They had to bring it up, do they?" Sokka whispered.

"It was a glorious victory to them no doubt." Toph said.

Zuko sighed. Victory? It is one more debt to repay, one more wrong to be redeemed.

"So what happened to the Dai Li? I heard that Azula banished them from the castle."

"I believe they are now back in Ba Sing Se."

"What? They betrayed and they still have the priviledge of entering that city?"

"What I mean is that they are now in the prisons of Ba Sing Se. Long Feng will soon be judged, probably executed, but we do know that that weak King of the Earthen Kingdom is in power right now, who knows what can happen. I mean he cared about his bear more than he cared about his throne!" Sokka said.

"Haha, yeah, I doubt he would last in front of that Morcun if this Morcun guy is as good as he sounds." Toph was laughing. What manners.

"Yes, we have to deal with him soon, but I, at least the Fire Nation, cannot spare much of anything to treat General Morcun now. Aang, can I entrust you with this job?" Zuko turned his back to the pandemonium in court and faced his friends who stood by his throne. "Just help me on this one..."

"Hey, do you have to ask? We were going to do it anyways. Am I right?" Sokka placed his hands onto his Space Sword.

"Zuko, I have owed you my fire bending, and I will repay you by helping you bring peace to your Nation and to this world." Aang said, placing one of his hands onto Zuko's shoulders.

"Thanks, and as a reply to your earlier question, yes, I am glad to be your friend." The Fire Lord stood up.

"Thank you for all your inputs, but right now, we do not and can not spare the miltary to take down General Morcun." The room was in uproar immediately. Zuko waved them silent. "But I have ordained my friend Aang, the Avatar, to stop him from succeeding in whatever he is doing.

"Don't take it wrong, your opinion and the honor of the Fire Nation is still of great weight on my decision, but first I have to look to the welfare of my citizen's first before I will sent any of our citizens off to war again.

"In other words, I promise that the moment we fixed our home land, our army will be on the march to regain what honor we had lost, what trust we had thrown away, and what that were rightfully ours."

Zuko took a breath, his robe trembling.

"Dismissed."


	8. Opus 7: Memories of Warmth

Sorry, another really short chapter. The next ones will be longer. I promise. And yes, I do not own Avatar :D

**Opus 7: Memories of Warmth**

Azula concentrated. She closed her eyes, feeling the chi in her body. It flows, and it moves, and she forced the flow to rotate faster. Fire benders can sprout fire without movements, as could other benders bend to similar results. She felt a tiny flame floating behind her, right above her hand, as the light that radiated from it illuminated the gleaming surface of the walls around given by the layer of wetness. The air was moist, and the flame died soon, but she was satisfied-there were enough heat in the air, and she now just need to grab hold of it.

Of course, every fire bender had bent heat one way or another, whether they know it or not, as fire can be led by simple manipulation of heat (just lay down a path warmed, and fire mostly like will follow through), but she had never intentionally learn it and she felt kind of lost. _Begin with concentration or begin with moving my chi as like when I fire bent? _To tell the truth, fire bending had came to her so easily that she had forgotten how. She simply remembered when she wanted there to be a fire, a fire sprang to life.

But she was not named a prodigy for nothing-ever since she sprouted blue fire from the palms of her hands, she knew she had advance to a stage that no one ever had ventured into. Now this heat bending...if she succeeds, she will become a pioneer in this field, which drove her on. This honor is simply too great to refuse. And though it meant nothing to her in this very moment, her vanity still sustained this very nature of hers.

And yes, she felt the temperature of the cell drop significantly. _So, it is sheer concentration then. _She shift a waft of warmth to her front, and burried it into her face. It was almost like the summer sun on her face.

Summer sun.

Sun tanning.

Beach.

Her memory sprang into life.

The smell of the sea.

The sand under her feet.

The jealousy of...

Azula scowled. A time when I displayed my weakness...I never should have given them any chance at all...to think I actually showed them apart of myself...lesson learned. She gritted her teeth. Trust no one and no one will ever even try to betray me.

Coolness. She felt a slight tingle of cold that descended from the corner of her eyes dow her cheek. What? Instantly, the ball of warmth became a colorless fire, singeing the air with ever more vigor.

To think that I actually treasure those moments, how ridiculous. The proof of her humanity evaporated with the burning heat that scaled her face.

I am Azula!


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I do not own the brilliantly made Avatar..._

_Well, recently got a heavy writer's block and this chapter might not come out the way I want. Well, enjoy_

**Opus 8: Gears turning**

~A few days before~  
Admiral Cheng was sipping his tea. His fleet lined the ocean surface with such order that he had to glow with pride. Ah, years of training. He took another sip. By the chiming of the day break's bell, at least a third of the Earthern Kingdoms will be up in smoke. Of course, he did not approved of this plan for he had a certain sweet spot for local scenaries, but it was an order from the newly anointed Phoenix King, and orders from Ozai, Phoenix King or not, was still an order to obey.  
A pipe appeared somewhere from his crimson sleeves, and he slid one end into his lips. A good pipe must be enjoyed. Especially when if this wonderful beach view will perish soon. Ember erupted from between his fingers in a clean snap, and the enchanting scent of fine herbs rose. A few sparks landed on his lap and he swept it away quickly.  
"Whoa whoa, isn't that one big burst of ember." He stared out the window. The evening sky was torched red. "Ah, the Sozin's Comet. What a convenience."  
"Admiral, all personnel had evacuated into the fleet." A soldier slid open the door, breaking the serenity of the moment.  
"Very well." He sighed, and a cloud of smoke escaped from his opened lips. A torrent spiraled in the midst of the raising smoke as the tendrils of gray caught on the edges of his beard of the same color. "So had the Phoenix King's airships been launched?"  
"They are off sir."  
"Hm. Be sure all fleet leaves shore at first sight of the airships." Ah. I see then. So, this is the last time I would enjoy this quiet scenary. To burn all of  
"Yes, Admiral."  
"You may leave."  
"Yes, Admiral." The soldier exited silently but didn't close the door. Cheng sense that he didn't leave.  
"Did you hear my order?"  
"Yes, sir, you said "leave.""  
"Then which part of it you didn't understand?"  
"Everything sir."  
"Hm?" Cheng raised an eyebrow. It was dispicable for a soldier, especially the navy, to disregard an order, while also talking back. Yet there was something interesting about this young man. "What do you mean?"  
"You are contradicting yourself sir. You still have something to say, but you ordered me to leave."  
He..."So it is. Soldier, what is your name?"  
"Cao, sir."  
"Cao."  
"Yes sir?"  
"What do you think of this war?"  
"Me? I am a pacifist, and thus war have no meaning to me."  
"How naïve, how unlike the people of Fire though noble and honorable. Yet why are you in midst of us?"  
"To experience the meaning of war. If war itself is what we pacifist are against, we must understand its nature. And where else I can learn it better other than the front line? After all, one can only trust their eyes, and sometimes one's eyes are not as trustworthy as one hopes."  
"True, and did your deposition altered?"  
"No, it only confirmed my wish to remain a pacifist."  
"Then hereby I relinquish your duty as a soldier of the Fire Nation. You will leave with the next boat depart back."  
"...Yes, sir..."  
"The war is over, and what follows might not please one at all, especially if one is a pacifist. Save your youthful days and spent it more on your great dreams. Perhaps I see you again when peace is achieved."  
"...Yes, sir." Cao left. Just before his shadow disappeared from the Admiral's sight, he spoke again. "May we see again in an age of peace and hopefully prosperity."  
"..." The Admiral said nil. His silent gaze was already the best answer he could give.  
And the sun set, smiling upon this piece of land that it stared every day.  
And the Admiral left the room as well. The distant scenary was already losing to the gluttony of the coming night.  
A waft of aroma licked the ceiling and was flushed away by the last ray of the twilight.  


* * *

  
The morning came in a rough drumming on the thick metal door.  
"What?" He grumbled. The day was still early, and his subordinates definitely knew he was a night person. The drumming seemed to be ignorant of this fact. "What!"  
"Wake up, Admiral, there are buisness of great urgency!" A voice called out from behind the door.  
"It better be urgent!" The Vice-Admiral scrambled from his bed. There were no time to carefully examine his attires, and he stormed out of his bed room, a steel cell somewhere constructed into the decks of the flagship.  
A man, captain by the look of his dressings, walked up to him along with two servants, one rubbing his hands in apparent pain.  
"Explain yourself, captain."  
"Aye, Vice-Admiral. We just received a new message from our messenger hawks. A new Fire Lord had been  
"What, so do we pay homage to that meaning spoilt princess?"  
"No..."  
"No? Than what is the problem?"  
"It wasn't Azula who became the Fire Lord, it was Zuko."  
"Zuko, huh? That rebel." The Vice Admiral closed his eyes. The name was well known-Zuko was on the Watch-out list for quite a while. "What of the Phoenix King?"  
"Of the Phoenix King we received no message. But the fact that some sentries reported that they saw abnormal fire patterns and explosions yesterday night where the Phoenix King first planned to strike first."  
"Hm..." A scenario formed in his mind. The worse case scenario that is. Perhaps the Avatar killed Ozai and Azula and destroyed the fleet of airships and crowned the ex-prince Zuko. He sighed. If that was the case, then it would be a nightmare for the Fire Nation's military. Ozai and Azula's brilliancy was well witnessed. Especially Azula-the fall of Ba Sing Se was still something that was sung in the midst of the Fire Nation's army. He sighed again. Who knows what Zuko will do. Well, he wouldn't follow his father's footsteps for sure. Why else would he dethrone his father? "This is giving me a headache. You, go get me a cup of tea. Captain, call a meeting of everyone who is a Vice Captain or above. I have to fetch the Admiral."  


* * *

  
The Vice Admiral found Admiral Cheng atop the wooden mast of the wooden galleon, then only wooden vessel left in the Fire Nation, as aways.  
"What is of your urgency, Vice Admiral?" The Admiral caught sight of the Vice Admiral.  
"Some tragedy had befell our nation."  
"Oh? Let's hear it." And the Vice Admiral reported everything, including his suspection. "It's a true misery if that is the case."  
"Is it now? But let's drop that question. I am sure that General Morcun was informed as well?"  
"The messenger hawk should have arrived, and I ordered a call of staff just now."  
"Good." General Morcun would have figured out everything by the time the meeting starts. His intelligence surpassed almost everyone he had ever met. But him...Admiral Cheng really didn't want to meet the general other than the fact that his duty requires so. In great emergencies, the Admirals have to meet with their District Director, who happens to be Morcun. Well, it had been a long time.  


* * *

  
Lanes of metal rails were installed between the military encampments, and thus the carriage traveled quickly, covering the distance between the castle and the port within a half the day. Yet the journey was not a pleasant for the carriage itself was made of iron, and as the midday sun poured its fury, it felt like they were swimming in molten lava. Admiral's superb fire bending granted him somewhat an immunity to the hotness, but Vice Admiral had to dab his head with a white handkerchief. Several dripping wet pieces of white cotton cloth lay wasted by side.  
"Vice Admiral, are you sure that you don't want to change carriage? I can always alter the shape of this carriage."  
"No, sir, this wouldn't be necessary. A man have to bear his own load at all times. But may I have permission to punch a hole in this metal cube?"  
"You do." A wave of heat washed over the Admiral as the dull metal that formed the roof flushed red. A loud tear accompanied the brilliance that entered the carriage. Instantly, fresh air washed all the sweat inducing hotness away. The sheet of metal roof hung limply, bent backwards by the sheer force that struck it.  
Yet all was not well. The moment the roof was torn away, gales of wind like nothing the Admiral had ever experienced slam into the carriage. Due the fact that his back was against the leeward wall, he did not suffer much other than his hair now looked as if it was ran over by one of his ironclads. But the main victim layed just a few feet across from him. The Vice Admiral was pinned to the wall, struggling helplessly against the onslaught of the rapid flow of wind. He opened his mouth, but the air stuffed it full.  
"Close...the roof!" The Admiral pointed at the plane of metal that vibrated dangerously in the wind.  
"Yes...sir!" Finally some audible words escaped from the Vice-Admiral's lips, and his struggle paid off handsomely. Now he was on his knees, fighting against the constant stream of air pressure. Soon his fingers touched the slick surface of the metal roof, but it took him a few tries. Slowly but surely, he bent it towards him. Unfortunately, the connection between the roof and the carriage grew thinner as the wind was caught full in this metal sail and was tearing rapidly. Then, the wheels hit a bump. With a loud roar, the remaining piece of roof flew away from the Vice Admiral's reach into the distance.  
Admiral sighed and signaled the driver to decrease the speed. A note to self-The quality of the road should be amended.  


* * *

  
General Morcun sat in the center of the ring, his legs crossed, his eyes closed. The captains and commanders of nearby encampments shuffled in, lining the border of the room like dominos, coloring the somewhat dull interior with a blazing crimson. Admiral Cheng and his Vice Admiral came last, for they almost didn't make it. Another Admiral was present, standing direct opposite of him. Raising one hand, General Morcun signaled his fellow commanders to take seat, and as the others sat, rising to full stature. Servants came in and place cups of tea on the table, each corresponding position of each guest.  
"It is a pleasure to have all of you in my court today. I will toast you one." General Morcun still closed his eyes, as if afraid to behold something of unimaginable ugliness. "to the great Fire Nation and its Absolute Ruler on high." He drained the entire cup in a gulp.  
Everyone follow suit, and the cups clanked as they were placed on the table. Morcun continued standingas the echo of the china sang in the packed room. "So you have all heard?" He didn't need to say what was he talking about-they all knew. "Good, very good. But just let us be clear, the Phoenix King and his destruction of Earthern Kingdom might have failed and will-be, no, would-be Fire Lord Azula was taken down along similarily. We can only assume that they were disposed and killed."  
Waves of murmur rippled forth, but none of the seated looked surprised. What Morcun said only confirmed their believes.  
Morcun continued. "However unsettling this news sounds, we gather here not in grieve but to seek our future's path. Let me ask you this-what shall the military do?"  
"Phoenix King's order stands." A commander spoke quietly. It was Admiral Cheng  
"If the Phoenix King had fallen, the highest authority of the army goes to the Fire Lord." Someone retorted.  
"And we must obey everything the New Fire Lord declares?" Another asked.  
"That we must! What good is a military when it doesn't obey the orders of the ones higher above?" the someone replied.  
"What if the one who issued the commands are ill-thought? What if the ones above are not fit to issue orders that benefit the people? We should stay as we are!" Admiral Cheng's Vice Admiral almost yelled.  
"Military is not a country by itself nor can it form one! We need a country and its people to back us up. If the new Fire Lord orders a withdraw, we could only obey for everything we need comes from our great home land!" The other Admiral finally spoke.  
"Enough." Morcun raised a hand. Everyone fell silent. "It is true that the military must follow orders. Yet orders must not be blindly followed, or the military would be called cannine instead. This is my opinion-the ancestor's will is to benefit the good citizens of Fire Nation through expanding into other lands. This is the highest order. So, it must be agreed that if the new Fire Lord issue a creed that harms the will that our ancestor passed down, we will remove ourselves from the jurisdiction of our home countries' ruler and continue down the path of war until we regained the world just as our ancestor taught us even if it meant to lose the support of our home country."  


* * *

  
In two short days, the creed came. As agreed, the two Admirals and the General deflected from the Fire Nation's army.

That small creed was a giant and sure step toward peace. But its issue was as if a tiny stone thrown into the . The gears of war had not yet rusted before it was set into motion again. There were many components, but among the first to revolve was the tiny pieces that General Morcun placed in the waking machine, and in the end, everyone, no matter be it the Avatar and his friends, Azula and Zuko, guilty and the innocent, ancient conspiracies and recent grieves, was caught in the torrent set into motion by the tiny action.


End file.
